By Shannon Tiezzi
Xi’s speech at a diplomatic summit reveals another piece of China’s security vision for Asia and the world.
On Saturday, China hosted a ceremony to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.” Chinese President Xi Jinping took advantage of the opportunity to reiterate China’s vision for a new model of international relations — not just for Asia, but for the world.
Xi originally outlined China’s new security concept at the May Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). During that speech, Xi emphasized two major points: the security structure in Asia should be universal, rather than benefiting “one [country] or a few countries.” As part of this, Xi condemned military alliances as an example of a security network that benefits a few and leaves many out in the cold. Second, Xi insisted upon a security framework where issues are “solved by Asians themselves” — a formulation that would exclude the U.S. from participation.
Xi’s speech on Saturday hit on some of the same notes. “It is unacceptable to have security just for one country or some countries while leaving the rest insecure,” Xinhua quoted Xi as saying. Xi also emphasized a special role for Asia. He claimed there was something uniquely Asian about the “Five Principles,” as these principles embody the “traditional reverence for peace” shared by Asian people. But for the most part, Xi’s speech this time moved away from an emphasis on Asia alone. As opposed to his address at CICA, Xi was no longer outlining China’s vision for the Asia-Pacific, but instead was offering a new blueprint for global international relations.
Read the full story at The Diplomat